etech152

Whats the best place to buy a replacement Soft-top for my 69 Convertible. Car is being repainted over the next few months and I am going to purchase a white Soft-top for it and want the best quality and closest to original as possible. Also can most good upolestry shops install them or is there a place in the Southeastern USA (N.C.) that does alot of them and can install them and adjust them and has the parts in-stock to do the alignment/adjustments quickly and correctly. I see some tops that look great and the back windows are nice and tight (look like glass) and some that are sloppy and worn and the back plastic is worn and not tight and takes away from the overall look of the car.

gdh

Al Knoch makes great soft tops for our verts. I will have mine installed this spring.

LFZ

Al Knoch..even has the original wash tag...but i tore that off after a few drives.

markdtn

I have an Al Knoch top on mine. I am very pleased with it.

etech152

Nice soft-top REDSHARK. Thats what I want my new top to look like, (with a nice tight rear window with no wrinkles in it). What other items should I replace along with the top to give it a good fit. (Example) should I replace those rubber bumpers on the front locks?...etc... Also I want to clean up and paint the Soft-top metal frame when doing the install, are there any adjustments or places to service on the frame when doing the change over? I noted I have a "hard" time getting the rear body panel to release when I pull those trigger handles underneath and I have to "slam" the body panel down "real" hard to get it to lock down. (I feel like it is way to much force to lock it down everytime and needs to be adjusted). Any help?

In many ways I wish I could just simply drive the car up to a well-experienced professional place that sells & installs "lots" of these tops and have them go over the entire thing when installing the new original replacement soft-tops (making adjustments) (painting frame) (changing bumpers & adjusting) (adjusting rear body panel latches). And then I could just drive away knowing "ALL" has been done correctly.

Is there such a place in the SouthEastern USA? I heard they sometimes do installs at the big Corvette shows on the permises, do they also do the other items I noted? Just thinking out loud I know my local small corvette shop may can do this but just asking?

LFZ

This maybe overkill, but I honestly would replace everything, from weatherstrip rubber to tack strips...its more of a while i'm here, i should kinda thing. My frame was in rough shape, so i sanded it all down, sprayed it with black paint, installed new tack strips and went from there. As for the rear panel releasing..you can adjust all this after you get the top installed. Finally as for letting a pro do it....search and search good. The cheapest place i have found around here was $500 all labor not including the price of the top which is about $200. Me and my father did mine..its not that bad..just take your time. If i may make one suggestion, its to go with a black top. I will be switching over this summer to a black top, this white is just too hard to keep clean!

Gordonm

I have had my white top on for 10 years now and it is a little dingy but Ilike the white top. I did not do mine myself but would do it myself now. I would redo everything you can on the frame as this was not done on mine. It works fine but I wish I had done all tha t10 years ago.

73jst4fun

Detroit Vette

Guy's i have high quality top kits that are the best available. They come with or without the dealer/wash tag and correct date stamp. The standard top kit without the date and tag is 199.00. If you want it made to the date of your car with the tag it is 279.00. These are an exact reproduction of the original. They are also very NCRS friendly.

68/70Vette

If you cruise through corvette parts houses catalogues, you should be able to find a video tape on how to do it yourself. Even if you don't want to do it yourself, it'd probably be a good idea to buy it and watch so you know what's going on. I read something somewhere, either on this forum or on corvettefaq.com, about someone who did their own even though they had no experience. As best I can recall they were pleased with their job even though it took a long time.

I still have the original convertible top on my 1968. It looks really good today..slightly grundgy but not really that much, of course the plastic window is clouded. I'l be replacing it someday, so keep in touch with progress if you don't mind. I've had one input that someone paid $500 labor to replace their top, even thought they provided the new one. From what I know (not much) that seems to be lot of money for installation!!

..about the Al Knoch top. I've never bought anything from Al Knoch that was not of the best quality. I hope I'm never disappointed.

markdtn

Al Knoch does installs by appointment at the Knoxville shows, but you wouldn't be able to detail it at the same time.

I had mine done by a shop near Atlanta and they did a great job. I stripped and detailed the top frame and took it to them. They did the install and did a great job.

etech152

Thanks everyone for the input! I am mailing out a check Monday for an Al Knoch Original replacement 69 white soft-top complete with replacement pads and tact strips. Thanks to Walt Knoch Next, I gotta find a place that can install it, I think I may know a place here locally, but I have plenty of time to find out while car is being painted. Thanks again to all who replied.

La Orange

Hi All
I had mine done last year at the Florida NCRS
regional by Al Knock. I removed the old top.
sand blasted any rust Then sent it to A Very good
Friend that has a body shop he primed and painted
it. The frame looked NEW Al Knock replaced all
the tack strips, cables. hardware, weather strips
and the canvas. It took them six pulse hours and
they do them all the time. It all looks and works
like new. I would highly recommend them
Good Luck
Michael